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Editors note: This is the second half of a two-part article on Janet Lee's experience in Axum, Ethiopia, as a Fulbright Scholar. The first half is in the March 2018 issue.
The last few months of my stay as a Fulbright Scholar at Aksum University in Axum, Ethiopia have been a mad rush to close out projects and grants, start saying goodbyes, welcome travelers, and prepare to enter the world.
My stated goals on my Fulbright application (open access journals, implementing a library catalog) were probably overly ambitious. Although there was a will among my colleagues, day-to-day life thwarted many activities. Despite the fact that Ethiopia is building a massive dam on the Nile River (the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) and certain areas of the country have immense wind farms, power is still very unstable and does not necessarily reach the very rural areas. Internet services are owned and controlled by the government, which is the sole provider. It can be and has been turned off at will. Connectivity can be sporadic, ranging from fair to excellent at different times of the day. Or sometimes, not at all. Still, over the years I have seen vast improvements in speed and connectivity.
The government-funded university system has grown significantly since my Peace Corps days when there were only three universities. Aksum University is one of ten second-generation universities and each is about ten years old. Like most of the Ethiopian universities, it has a young and enthusiastic faculty and a young administration. One can only imagine the possibilities for the universities when the faculty and administration gain experience and increased education.
I have grown close to a number of my counterparts in the library and the ICT department as we worked together on a library web page or made attempts to establish the library catalog. I hope to collaborate further in the future. Although tertiary education is free, only students who pass the national exam are allowed to attend, and not necessarily at their first choice. Most of the universities are at capacity with students, but lack sufficient number of experienced professors and must reach out to countries such as India and the Philippines.
In addition to building relationships at Aksum University, I have had additional...